Deer Initiative Ltd (DI Ltd), the executive arm of the Deer Initiative Partnership (DIP), is to cease operating at the end of the current financial year on 31 March 2020, after 24 years of service.

The decision to close operations is a result of the changing operating environment within the land management and conservation sector, in part due to the DI’s own success in promoting the importance of sustainable and effective deer management. Diminishing funding opportunities within the sector have also had a significant impact on the DI’s ability to operate.

David Jam, the Executive Director of DI Ltd, said: “It has been a very difficult decision but it could be said that we have been victims of our own success, a fact borne out by the number of organisations we first introduced to the concept of sustainable deer management who now have their own in-house deer management staff. 

“The Best Practice Guidance has undoubtedly led to an improvement in standards of safety, humaneness and effectiveness and helped to narrow the gap between professional and volunteer deer managers.” 

The DI was established in 1995 to provide advice and guidance and to advocate the sustainable management of wild deer.

It is anticipated that the DI Partnership will remain in existence as a sector forum for focussed discussion and escalation of deer related topics.

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